Beauty: EcoBeautyScore, the environmental rating system, enters the deployment phase
The project was initiated in 2021 by L'Oréal, LVMH, Henkel and Unilever, and has since been joined by some 40 other players, including Coty, Estée Lauder, Puig, Shiseido, Sisley, Amorepacific, Febea, Cosmetic Valley and Cosmetics Europe.
Structured as a non-profit association, the EcoBeautyScore system aims to create a common framework for assessing the environmental footprint of skincare and personal care products. Like Nutriscore in the food sector, it awards a grade from A to E, based on 16 impact indicators (carbon, water, natural resources, pollution, etc.), over the product's entire life cycle.
The system is based on the European Union's Environmental Product Footprint (EPF) methodology, and has been validated by Ecocert. Participating brands will undergo regular audits, with certification by an independent third party.
"EcoBeautyScore provides the beauty sector with a much-needed transparency tool. For the first time, brands can communicate their environmental impact in a coherent, digestible way, based on scientific data," explains Jean-Baptiste Massignon, Managing Director of the EcoBeautyScore association.
Initially, EcoBeautyScore is being deployed in four segments: shampoos, conditioners, shower gels and facial care products. Interested brands can access a trial version of the system free of charge, as well as resources to help them implement it.
The consortium plans a gradual extension to other product categories, with an international opening in the coming months.
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